Elastic knitted form-fitting undergarments



Jan. 4, 1965 GORDON 3,226,957

ELASTIC KNITTED FORM-FITTING UNDERGARMENTS Filed Jan. 2, 1962 INVENTOR. B cu wait D. G-m [M] h BY F I 5 m J J ATTORNEYS United States Patent Filed Jan. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 163,541 3 Claims. (Cl. 66176) This invention relates to form-fitting knitted undergarments for women, such as brassieres, panties and girdles, which can be made in two parts, namely, a front panel and a rear panel, each of which is formed entirely by knitting operations, the panels being joined by stitching to form a garment having side seams, the object garment having 3-dimensional contours which accommodate the breasts, hips and buttocks, the 3-dimensional areas being knitted without seams. It is a further object of the invention to provide these form-fitting garments for women with areas of knitted inelastic yarn, these areas being made as part of the knitting operation, such garments consisting of two panels joined together by side seams, each panel being made entirely by knitting operations using elastic yarn for the most part.

Representative garments embodying the invention are illustrated on the drawing, of which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view in outline of a brassiere which has three-dimensional knitted breast cup bulges and an area of inelastic yarn;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of a girdle;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a pair of panties;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a full-length girdle; and

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the front panel of the girdle shown in FIGURE 4.

All of the garments illustrated on the drawing are characterized by being composed for the most part of panels having seamless three-dimensional contoured portions formed by knitting operations on a flat knitting machine to accommodate and fit upon the breasts, hips and thighs of the wearer, said panels also being made of elastic yarn except for certain areas wherein elastic yarn was substituted for the elastic yarn in the knitting operation, the panel thus being intarsia knitted, this mode of knitting being Well known in the art as illustrated and described, for example, in US. Patent No. 2,216,051, granted to T. Smith et al., September 24, 1940. The purpose of the areas of inelastic yarn is to hold in certain areas of the body surface of the wearer where the body is apt to bulge excessively if not constricted.

A knitted brassiere is shown in FIGURE 1, consisting of a front portion with seamless three-dimensional bulges 12 and 14 for breast cups shaped entirely by knitting operations such as are described for example in US. Patent No. 2,977,783, these operations resulting in a Weft knitted fabric all the courses of which extend from selvage to selvage. A rear portion 16 may be knitted as lateral extensions of the front portion. Over-shoulder bands 20, 22 may be ribbons extending from the breast cups 12, 14 to the rear portion 16. The brassiere is made of elastic yarn except for areas of inelastic yarn, as at 24, 26, 28, these areas of elastic yarn and areas of inelastic yarn being formed in a continuous knitting operation, the changes of yarn being brought about by suitable operation of the yarn carriers of the knitting machine, the

r 3,226,957 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 making of stitched seams thus being avoided in forming the breast cup bulges and the relatively inelastic areas.

A girdle 40 is shown in FIGURE 2, this girdle consisting of a front panel 42 and a rear panel 44 connected together by side seams 46. The front panel has a central area 48 of non-elastic yarn. The front and/ or rear panels may also have other areas such as 50 of non-elastic yarn introduced by intarsia knitting, the entire girdle being knitted in two panels which are for the most part of elastic yarn with the exception of the areas knitted of non-elastic yarn. The rear panel of this garment and of the garments shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, is three-dimensionally shaped to fit smoothly on the hips and buttocks, this shaping being done by a knitting process described in US. Patent No. 3,176,480, granted to B. D. Gordon et al. on April 6, 1965.

FIGURE 3 shows form-fitting panties 54 which comprise a front panel 56 and a rear panel 58 knitted chiefly of elastic yarn, with areas such as 60, 62 of knitted nonelastic yarn formed by intarsia knitting on the knitting machine concurrently with the areas of elastic yarn.

A full-length foundation garment is shown in FIGURE 4, this garment comprising a front panel. 74 and a rear panel 76 secured to each other by side seams 78. This garment has seamless three-dimensional breast cups 80 and 82 made entirely by knitting operations similar to those employed in making the breast cups shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The garment also has a number of areas 84, 86, 88 as shown or elsewhere, these areas being of knitted non-elastic yarn, the remainder of the garment being of knitted elastic yarn. A diagrammatic plan view of the front panel 74 of this garment is shown in FIG- URE 5.

The undergarments illustrated on the drawing are given by way of example, the invention not being limited to those particular kinds of garments nor to the particular location of the areas of knitted non-elastic yarn.

I claim:

1. A form-fitting undergarment comprising seamless front and back panels joined by seams at the sides, each panel being entirely weft knit, all the courses of which extend from selvage to selvage, the front panel being intarsia knitted with a central area of inelastic yarn, the remainder of the panel being of elastic yarn.

2. A form-fitting undergarment as described in claim 1, the rear panel thereof having three-dimensionally contoured portions.

3. A form-fitting undergarment comprising seamless front and back panels joined by seams at the sides, each panel being entirely weft knit, all the courses of which extend from selvage to selvage, each panel being intarsia knitted with at least one area of inelastic yarn, the remainder of the panel being of elastic yarn.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 507,373 10/1893 Lendry 128494 1,864,476 6/1932 Rutledge 66175 1,965,860 7/1934 Rutledge.

1,984,326 12/ 1934 Titone 66--176 2,026,963 1/ 1936 Burns 66-176 2,041,664 5/1936 Mendel et al 66--175 (Other references on following page) 3 3 UNITED STATES PATENTS Boysen et a1 66-175 Roques 66-175 X Smith et a1. 66128 Kattermann 66-176 Cadous 2-42 Speicher 66-177 Laguzzi 128554 L0 Cascio 242 Sinigarliesi 66-177 X Van Horne 128-55.4

Morano 128-554 Gordon 66189 X Gofif et a1. 66-177 FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1940 France.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Prirhary Examiner. 

1. A FORM-FITTING UNDERGARMENT COMPRISING SEAMLESS FRONT AND BACK PANELS JOINED BY SEAMS AT THE SIDES, EACH PANEL BEING ENTIRELY WEFT KNIT, ALL THE COURSES OF WHICH EXTEND FROM SELVAGE TO SELVAGE, THE FRONT PANEL BEING INTARSIA KNITTED WITH A CENTRAL AREA OF INELASTIC YARN, THE REMAINDER OF THE PANEL BEING OF ELASTIC YARN. 